Month: October 2017

Tonight’s the night streets will be filled with little ghosts and goblins on the hunt for candy. Not only is Halloween popular with kids, teens and adults enjoy this night just the same. Whatever your plans may be everyone, should be safe. Here are some tips to help!

Planning a trick-or-treat route for your little one’s is always best, this ensures you know where they are going. An adult should always accompany children as they make their way around the neighborhood going door to door. Make sure your little superhero can see-and been seen by others. Give them a flashlight to carry for super dark areas or put something reflective on their costume. Face paint is also a good alternative to wearing a mask.

Of course only houses with porch lights on should be visited, never go inside and be cautious of animals that may be out too. When you get home to

You may or may not have heard about hospice care before, in fact, most people have not. It’s a subject that gets avoided constantly and unless faced with an unexpected crisis, almost always never talked about. Some understand the basics but many believe the numerous misconceptions, such as:

“It’s for dying people.”

“They provide counseling and other stuff as well as medicine.”

“Old people go there to die. There is no hope for them, basically.”

While there is some truth to these statements clarification is needed. Hospice isn’t just for “dying people.” Hospice is about LIVING and celebrating life. Hospice patients are living with a terminal illness, and ensuring their comfort and quality of life is what hospice is all about. Anyone with a progressive, life-limiting illness or

Validation: This particular tragedy has affected so many people in many different ways-physically, emotionally, and spiritually. One needs a place to recognize that these reactions are part of the healing journey and by sharing how one feels, the anxiety and depression can be lessened while the ability to enjoy life again expands. Being with other affected people can reaffirm that one is not “going crazy”. While every experience is unique, through support groups one can bask in the support of others who have been affected.

Throughout our lives there will be moments when we ourselves or someone we love will experience loss. It could be for a number of things- loss of a loved one, pet, divorce, job, or a traumatic event that has taken place. Whatever the tragedy, sometimes it can be difficult to know how to help get through a situation and be supportive. Contingent on the significance of the loss, the grief may vary. But despite the differences there are some things you can do to help.

Hearing happy memories is a good place to start. Recalling past times and reminiscing helps someone to focus on the good things and what they loved so much about the person who is now gone. Along with this you can make a personalized gift to give to them. This is a keepsake they can hold onto for years and look back on to remember their loved one. Allowing a person to be emotional and express their feeli

Recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness in October leaves no better time to talk about mammograms. Getting one is cringed upon by many women but these are necessary as we age. There are benefits to mammograms, and if you haven’t went for your first exam yet, here are some things to prepare you.

Of course the biggest benefit of getting a mammogram is early detection of cancer. Spotting cancer early leads to a higher chance of recovery. Early detection also allows women to keep their natural breast versus having to get a mastectomy. Mammograms do not hurt. You may experience some unpleasantness but it’s not really painful. The whole process itself is brief and there is little radiation used during the test. The physician reading your results looks for changes such as white small spots, lumps, or tumors, and other suspicious areas that could be signs of cancer

1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. This disease itself claims the lives of hundreds of thousands each year- affecting women around the world. Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast, some cancer is limited to a certain area of the breast while others can spread to healthy tissues or other parts of the body.

Cancer stages are based on four determinants: The size of the cancer, whether or not it’s invasive, if it has spread to the lymph nodes, and if it’s reached other parts of the body beyond the breast. Stage IV, the last stage, is described an invasive breast cancer that has spread (metastasized) beyond the breast and lymph nodes to other organs like the lungs, bones, liver, etc. Stage IV can happen upon the first diagnosis or it can be relapsing cancer that has spread.</p

Hospice care is provided by a core group of professionals who support and treat each hospice patient as a whole. Hospice doesn’t just manage pain. It shows patients and families how to best cope with an illness and addresses all physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. It is care that meets the unique needs of each individual, understanding hospice prepares patients and families for the future. However, many are waiting too long to take advantage of this service. Deciding on hospice may be one of the toughest decisions in life you have to make. But it’s an important option to consider.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. Each year it is estimated that over 252,710 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,500 will pass away from this disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. Similar to hospice, breast cancer has many myths associated with it but it’s important to know the facts.

Finding a lump in your breast doesn’t always mean its cancer, however, a lump found should never be ignored. Schedule a clinical exam to be sure it is not cancerous. You should give yourself a breast exam regularly to stay on top of any changes you may notice. Another common myth is that only women can get breast cancer, this is false. The number is on a smaller scale, but an estimated 2100 men are diagnosed with breast cancer too each year. For men, this is usually distinguished as a ha

Centennial Hills Senior Center – 6611 N Buffalo (near Deer Springs): Mondays (2nd and 4th of each month) at 1:00 p.m. General groups are held on OCTOBER 9th & OCTOBER 23rd. Please note this is for ages 18 and over-any loss. **Enter the YMCA and proceed to the back of the building.